The second production in the Granary's enticing programme for the current season, Some Explicit Polaroids reveals the advances made by the Poor Mouth Theatre Company since its inaugural production a few months ago. Oonagh Kearney's direction is less tentative and the cast, led with confidence by Peter O'Mahony, seems to understand this gritty little slice of modern life from playwright Mark Ravenhill. The unpleasant EastEnders atmosphere defeats the comedy among this clutch of characters caught up in their own dramas. The pace is set at stroll and this lack of dynamism indicates that Poor Mouth still has to improve its production standards if it is to do justice to the chosen material. Pumping sound and hanging television screens do not compensate for ambiguous lighting (the atmospheric effects are good, the efficiency effect bad) and poor projection, although the set by Davy Dummigan suggests a talent for more than the economy used here.
Runs at the Granary until April 28th. Booking on 021-4904275.